Box-lid holder.



B. D. MILLER.

BOX LID HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED nma, 1910.

1 ,@?5,84%. Patented Oct. 14, 1913.

- |N\(,ENTOR PER ATTORNEY.

BENJAMIN D. MILLER, 0F W0CMESTILR, 01-110, ASSIGNOB TO EMIL PAUMIER AND G. A. HUDSQN.

BGX-LID HOLDER.

1,075,S4ld.

Application filed. December 5, 1910.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that 1,.BENJAM1N D. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at lVooster, in the county of Wayne and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Box-Lid Holder, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in adjustable cigar-box-lid holders, and pal ticularly to improved means for adjustably supporting such lids in open position at any desired angle. Its object is to afford means for more firmly securing the box lid in open position; second, to provide better facilities for shifting such position, and, thirdly, to give the device greater strength andto lessen the stress upon the hinge of the lid when lifting the cigar-box thereby, and removably secure the holder to the box without being anchored thereto, and without liability to slip thereon in handling.

Having these objects in view, my invention consists of the novel elements and combination thereof as hereinafter fully set forth and claimed.

My invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawing in which similar letters and figures of reference indicate like parts.

Referring to the drawing, Figure 1 is a view in perspective embodying my invention in position upon a cigar box. Figs. 2 and 3 are views of a modified form of the invention.

My device comprises mainly two distinct parts which are pi'votally secured together, namely, a base portion 1, and an adjustable arm 2, which is pivotally secured to said base at 12 in such manner that said pivot is in exact line with the hinge of the box lid A. The said base is bifurcated vertically in such a manner as to form downwardly projecting parts 8 and 9, each having a flanged portion 10 11, the flange 10 of the rear part 5) flaring outwardly at right angles thereto, and the front or inner part flange 11 flaring inwardly in like manner, said flanges standing opposite and parallel to each other, and by their construction forming a vertical slot 1% between them terminating nearly opposite said pivot 12. Said base 1 extends upwardly and outwardly from said pivot in the form of a quarter circle disk near the periphery of which are a series of spaced notches 5. These may be either raised upon Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented (Pct. 1%,1913.

Serial No. 595,572.

the face of the disk as shown in Fig. 1, or cut therein as shown in Fig. 2.

The arm 2 is preferably made of spring metal, and a tongue 4 is cut or stamped out of the same along its longitudinal center, in such a manner as to leave the upper end of said tongue integral with said arm and its lower end free to act as a spring actuated latch, and is so situated as to engage said catches 5 between the opposite sides of said armsaid sides being preferably raised at this point to pass over said catches freely in either direction, and said catches are preferably made to slope upwardly and forwardly, whereby said latch passes over the same freely in moving said box lid in the direction of shutting said box, and securely holds said lid from moving in the opposite direction except when said spring latch 1 is raised at its lower end 7 and is thereby disengaged. This feature is a decided advantage, in that the position of the box lid may be changed in forward direction without using both hands, and it is more securely held against slipping in the opposite direction when the box is lifted by using the lid as a handle than heretofore has been possible. If preferred, the spring latch may be provided with a pin stop adapted to enter notches 5 in horizontal direction as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, or, the latch may be formed of a separate piece of spring metal secured at its upper end to said arm.

I am aware it is not new to construct an adjustable box-lid holder by pivoting the arm to the base. and such I do not broadly claim. Heretofore, in such case, the base has been anchored to the box and extended downwardly over the end of the box, with a series of spaced notches at the bottom, into which the arm was extended from a pivot at the top of said base. Such are imperfect on account of the necessity of attaching the base to the outside of the box, and bending the arm inwardly to engage the lid. and also on account of the strain caused to act against the hinge of the lid, and the chili culty of securing the lower end of the extended arm in the notches aforesaid. I overcome all these defects by locating the fulcrum pivot 12 at some distance below and beyond the catch-es 5, which are thus intermediate between the pivot and the bearing of the box lid against the upper end of the arm 2. Also, by means of the opposite flanges 11,0 11, which extend laterally in opposite directions at right angles to the plane of the disk 1, and border the edges of the slot 1%, as aforesaid, I am able to removably secure said base portion at a rear upper corner of the box, in such a manner that the inner of said flanges will rest against the rear side of the box C on the inside, and the other of said flanges will bear against the outside at the end B of said box, thereby making a strong and simple connection, without the need of nails, cleats, or other means to anchor the member to the box to prevent the same from slipping from position because of the weight of the box. The said base, being made of thin sheet metal, will readily pass between the end of the lid A and the inside of the box end B in the common cigar box, as shown in Fig. 1., My invention is further differentiated in the means I employ for adjustably locking the arm which supports the box lid, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Heretofore the means employed has been either a slidable clasp in connection with the end of the box lid in conjunction with a base portion provided with notches adapted to receive a lip portion of said clasp, when the latter is slid downwardly along the adjacent end of said box lid; or, a d 0 win ard extension of a lever arm pivoted to a body portion secured to the box has been adapted to engage and fit into spaces bet-ween stops on the lower edge of said body portion. Both of the means aforesaid are imperfect in that in both, the use of two hands is required to accomplish said adjustn'ient, and, in the former, the hinge of the box-lid is entirely unsupported, and in the latter, the lever arm is too long,

causin too great strain or stress on the pivot when the box is lifted by grasping the lid thereof. 1 overcome these defects by locating the steps which engage the arm intermediate the pivot and the upper end of the said arm which clasps the end of the box lid, and provide a spring latch fitted to adjustably engage the upward extension of the body portion through a slot in said arm, as aforesaid, whereby greater strength, and ease in changeably adjusting the slant of the box lid with reference to the box, is obtained. The upper end of the arm 2 is provided with a card case 3 extending along the inner surface of the lid, and an outer clip 13 between which the end of the box lid rests and is detachably secured, in the usual well known way.

Having thus fully described my inven tion, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A box lid holder comprising a bodyengaging section formed of a plate having a vertically disposed slot with flanges extending from the vertical edges of the slot for engaging the body of a box, the plate having an upwardly-extending portion, a lidengaging section having its lower end pivotally connected with the body engaging section at a point above the slot thereof, said upwardly-extending portion of the bodyengaging section having spaced devices concentric with the point of pivotal connection between the sections, a latch carried by the lid-engaging section to engage the said devices for holding the sections in different relative posit-ions of adjustment, and lid gripping members on the lid engaging section, said latch being disposed between the said members and the point of pivotal connection. between the sections. I

2. A box lid holder com n'ising a body engaging section formed with an upwardlyextending plate, a lid-engaging section comprising an arm and members thereon for gripping the lid, a pivotal connection between the lower end of the arm and the body-engaging section at a point in line with the hinge of the lid, a latch located on the arm between the pivot and the said lidgripping members, and projections on the said plate with which the catch is adapted to engage, the said arm being ofi'set at the projections to pass over the same.

In witness whereof, I hereunto set my hand at Wooster, Ohio, this 3d day of December, 1910.

BEN. D. MILLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of iatents. Washington, I). G. 

